Ministries
Our philosophy of ministry is very simple. We believe that every person who loves God is designed and called by God to make a difference in the lives of others. This includes people inside and outside the walls of the church.
The Bible says that Jesus is the one who gave these gifts to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do His work and build up His church. The emphasis is on God’s people serving Him. Jesus said, “those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit.” God is not just calling paid staff to make a difference for Him, but he is calling everyone. It is our hope at Grace that you will find our worship services to be both a place of refueling and also a place where you hear that God wants to use you in the lives of people with which He has surrounded you. The staff welcomes the privilege of coming along side its members as they minister to others.
Sunday Celebration
We have posted one of Charles Spurgeon’s prayers. May we learn from this great servant of God!
THE FOOT WASHING PRAYER
John 13:3-5
PRAYED on Oct 12, 1879 by Charles Spurgeon
edited by RPWAGER for the Grace Community Church Web Site, March 2006
O Jehovah, our God, You love Your people, You have placed all the saints in the hand of Jesus, and You have given Jesus to be to them a Leader, a Commander, and a Husband; and we know that You delight to hear us cry on the behalf of Your church, for You care for Her, and You are ready to grant to Her according to the covenant provisions which You have laid up in store for Christ Jesus. Therefore would we begin this morning’s prayer, by entreating You to behold and visit the vine, and the vineyard which Your right hand has planted. Look upon those whom You have chosen from before the foundation of the world, whom Christ has redeemed with blood, whose hearts He has won and holds, and who are His own though they be in the world.
Holy Father, keep Your people we beseech You, for Jesus’ sake: though they are in the world let them not be of it; but may there be a marked distinction between them and the rest of mankind. Even as their Lord was “holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners,” so may it be with believers in Christ. May they follow Him; and may they not know the voice of worldly strangers.
We cry to You this morning for the preservation of Your church in the world, and especially for her purity. Oh Father, we beseech You, may the Evil one touch us not. We shall be tempted, but let him not prevail against us. In a thousand ways he will lay snares for out feet, but, oh, deliver us as a bird from the snare of the hunter. May the snare be broken that we may escape.
Let not the church suffer dishonor at any time, but may her garments be always white. Let not such as come in among her, that are not of her, utterly despoil her. Oh Christ, as You did groan concerning Judas, so may Your children cry to You concerning any that have fallen aside into crooked ways, lest the cause of Christ in the earth should be dishonored. Oh God, we beseech You, cover with Your feathers, all the people of Christ, and protect Your church even until He shall come who, having loved His own that were in the world, love them even to the end.
We would each one of us ask this morning that we may be washed: we trust You have bathed us once for all in the sin-removing fountain. You have also washed us in the waters of regeneration, and given us the renewing of our minds through Jesus Christ. But oh for daily cleansing! Do You see any fault in us? - oh we know that You do — wash us that we may be clean. Are we deficient in any virtue? Oh supply it, that we may exhibit a perfect character, to the glory of Him who has made us anew in Christ Jesus. Or, is there something that would be good, carried to excess? Be pleased to modify it lest one virtue should slaughter another, and we should not be the image of Christ completely. Oh Lord and Master, You who did wash Your disciples’ feet of old, still be very patient toward us, very condescending towards our provoking faults, and stay with us, we pray, till Your great work shall be completed, and we shall be brethren of the First-born, just like Him.
Gracious Master, we wish to conquer self in every respect; we desire to live for the glory of God and the good of our fellow men. Will You enable us especially to overcome the flesh with all its affections and lusts; may the flesh be kept under; let no appetite of any kind, of the grosser sort, prevail against us, lest we be dishonored and unclean. And let not even the most refined power of the natural mind be permitted to mar the dominion of the Spirit of God within us.
Oh help us not to be so easily moved, even by pain: may we have much patience; and let not the prospect of death ever cause us any fear, but may the Spirit get the mastery of the body. We know that nothing can hurt a believer — our new self cannot be smitten; nor can it die: it is wholly incorruptible, and lives and abides for ever in the life that is in Christ Jesus.
Oh for a complete conquest of self: especially render us insensible to praise, so we will not be too sensitive to criticism. Let us understand the mercy of God, and may we be patient, gracious God, to listen to the bickering of unreasonable men; yes, and to hear the misrepresentations of our own brethren. Those that we love, even if they don’t love us, may we love them none the less; and if by mistake they misjudge us, let us have no hard feelings towards them: and God grant may we never misjudge one another. Does not our Judge stand at the door?
Oh keep us like little children who do not know, but are content to believe things which they do not understand. Lord keep us humble, dependant, yet serenely joyful. May we be calm and quiet even as a weaned child, yet may we be earnest and active.
Oh Savior, make us like You; we wish not so much to do, as to be. If You will change us on the inside, we shall do right. We have so often yearned to be like You, Jesus, we shall never rest till this is the case, till You have made us to be inwardly holy; and then words and actions will also be holy.
Now here we are, Lord, and we belong to You. Oh, it is because we are yours, that we have hope. You will make us worthy. Your possession of us is our hope of maturity. You wash our feet because we are yours. Oh how sweet is your mercy which made us part of your family, and now continues to deal tenderly with us. We pray that all may see Christ within us which proves that we are the Lord’s.
Now this morning, we would bring before You all Your saints, and ask You to attend to their trials and troubles. Some we know here are afflicted in person, others have friends who are afflicted. Lord, we do not know the specific trials of all Your people, but You do; for You are the Head of our church and you know the pains of all the members in this body. Please, Help all Your people.
Now we pray that you would grant us the Sabbath blessing which we have already sought; and let it come upon all the churches of our beloved country. May the Lord revive true and undefiled faith here, and in all the other lands where Christ is known and preached: and let the day come when the godless shall become converted. Let the blessed gospel of the Eternal God prevail: let the whole earth be filled with His glory. Oh that we may live to see that day!
The Lord bless our country: have pity upon it in all its present afflicted condition. God bless our leaders with every mercy and blessing. Grant that there may be, in Your infinite wisdom, a change in the state of trade and commerce, that there may be no complaint and distress. Oh, let the people see Your hand, and understand why troubles are upon them, that they may turn from wrong-doing, and seek righteousness and follow peace. Lord hear us as we often cry to You on behalf of our beloved land: the Lord lift up the light of His countenance upon it yet again, for Jesus’ sake.
Amen.